Week 17 – Joe Flacco vs. Cleveland
Joe Flacco had a horrific game against the Texans last week, throwing for only 195 yards and two touchdowns to go with three costly interceptions. The Ravens needed to win, and they wound up getting crushed by the Texans with a third string quarterback.
Flacco won’t have an easier time this week against the Browns and their 7th ranked pass defense. He’s been an inconsistent and poor fantasy option all season anyway, and there’s no reason to expect that to change this week. Fantasy owners should look elsewhere.
Week 16 – Joe Flacco vs. Houston
Joe Flacco didn’t turn the ball over against the Jaguars last week, but he managed only 221 yards and one touchdown pass as the Ravens beat Jacksonville to extend their record to 9-5. Flacco hasn’t put up big numbers consistently at any point in his career, and even though he has a nice matchup against the Houston Texans’ 26th ranked pass defense in Week 16, it’s hard to trust him, especially during championship time in most fantasy leagues. He should be viewed as he usually is, a risky QB2 kind of fantasy option, and owners should look elsewhere if possible.
Week 15 – Joe Flacco vs. Jacksonville
Joe Flacco had 269 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick against the Dolphins last week, as the Ravens got away with a nice victory against a fellow playoff hopeful. Flacco has been inconsistent this season, but looked pretty good against the league’s third ranked passing defense.
This week, Flacco faces the 18th ranked Jaguars pass defense, which should bode well for him over his matchup last week. However, his inconsistency makes him a below average fantasy starter in any given week, and unless it’s out of desperation, Flacco shouldn’t be active in most leagues, despite some matchup upside.
Week 14 – Joe Flacco vs. Miami
Joe Flacco had 225 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Chargers last week, but the Ravens couldn’t pull out a victory and now find themselves fighting amidst a logjam of 7-5 teams in the AFC. Flacco and the Ravens offense have been much improved this season, but still seem to lack consistency, particularly in the passing game.
This week, Flacco will likely struggle against the Miami Dolphins and the number two pass defense in the league. Flacco is an inconsistent fantasy starter anyway, and when he faces tough matchups like this one, there’s no reason to risk having him in your lineup.
Week 13 – Joe Flacco vs. San Diego
Joe Flacco had an efficient day against the Saints on Monday night, throwing for 243 yards, a touchdown, and no turnovers. He also completed 75 percent of his passes, which is nice to see for Flacco owners and for Ravens fans that have experience some erratic Flacco in the past.
This week, Flacco will face a Chargers defense that ranks sixth in the league in passing yards allowed per game, but also has given up 18 touchdown passes to opponents this season. Flacco is a guy that is hard to trust regardless of the matchup though, and even though the Chargers have experienced injuries on both sides of the ball lately, Flacco is at best a QB2 or replacement level guy for fantasy owners. Fantasy owners should look to someone with more upside if possible.
Week 12 – Joe Flacco vs. New Orleans
Joe Flacco had only 169 yards and a touchdown against the Titans two weeks ago. The Ravens won the game off of good defense and an effective running game, and this is the formula Baltimore would prefer to go with in most games.
This week, Flacco faces a below average Saints pass defense that has struggled creating turnovers this season amidst defensive backfield injuries. Expect Baltimore to continue trying to the run the ball and for Flacco to be his usual inconsistent fantasy option. He remains in QB2 territory for this week.
Week 10 – Joe Flacco vs. Tennessee
Joe Flacco had 303 yards, two touchdowns, and a pick against the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sunday night, as the Ravens got thumped by 20 points against their division rivals. Flacco remains an average option without a tremendous amount of upside week-to-week and is a better backup fantasy quarterback than starter at most times.
This week, he’s a nice bye week filler at the quarterback position with a matchup against the Titans and their middle of the road pass defense. They rank 16th in passing yards allowed per game and are tied for 11th in passing touchdowns allowed to opposing passers. Flacco should be considered a borderline starter in most weeks, and with all the byes again in Week 10, he's not a bad option for fantasy owners.
Week 9 – Joe Flacco vs. Pittsburgh
Joe Flacco had 195 yards and two picks last week in a loss to the Bengals. Flacco has been a little turnover prone in recent weeks and he’ll try to get it together again this week in Pittsburgh. The Steelers haven’t been the dominant force on defense this season that we wer accustomed to seeing in past years, but they’ve improved in recent weeks at applying pressure to opposing quarterbacks. Expect a hard-fought battle between these two bitter rivals, and Flacco should continue to be a decent secondary quarterback option, as is typical for him throughout his career. Fantasy owners should view him as bye week filler with so many teams off in Week 9.
Week 8 – Joe Flacco vs. Cincinnati
Joe Flacco threw for 258 yards and a pair of touchdowns against the Falcons last week as the Ravens rolled to an easy victory. Flacco did throw two picks, but otherwise looked pretty sharp and is now quietly tied for fifth in the league in touchdown passes on the season, and is eighth in passing yards.
This week, Flacco faces a Bengals defense that looked dominant at the beginning of the season, but now ranks 27th in the league in passing yards allowed per game. They were torched by the Colts and Andrew Luck last week as well. Flacco is still only a smart fantasy play in really good matchups, and the Bengals aren’t the first team to have Andrew Luck make them look silly. He’s a QB2 option or a decent bye week guy for Kap owners.
Week 7 – Joe Flacco vs. Atlanta
Joe Flacco had one of the best performances I’ve seen from a QB last week and was nearly flawless in a blowout victory over the Bucs. He completed over 70 percent of his passes, threw for 306 yards and ended up with five touchdowns and no turnovers. The Ravens straight dominated the Tampa Bay defense, and Flacco looked like an All-Pro.
This week, Flacco has a nice matchup against a lackluster Atlanta defense that was torched by Jay Cutler and the Bears a week ago. While 300 yards and five touchdown passes is unlikely to be repeated, Flacco should find plenty of use for his array of receiving weapons against a struggling Falcons defense, and we have him as a solid starter in all league formats.
